d
have shifted my flag, since the receipt of their Lordships'
letter to send the Victory to Spithead, and the present
afflicting state of my domestic concerns renders it of the
utmost consequence that I should repair to England immediately;
but I have suffered my private feelings to give way to the
public service, and have to request that I may receive their
Lordships' permission to proceed to England upon the receipt of
this letter.

In his letter to Lord Cathcart, dated on the following day, he
writes,--

Although the afflicting state of my domestic concerns requires
my return to England with as little delay as possible, I
sacrifice my private feelings to a sense of my duty to the
public service, and I have signified to his Majesty's
Government my intention to remain here until I receive the
pleasure of H.R.H. the Prince Regent upon the above measures
(respecting the Russian fleet), when I hope to receive
permission to return to England.

Sir James having given the necessary directions to Rear-admiral Morris
for sending pilots to, and conducting the Russian fleet through the
Belt, shifted his flag to the Pyramus and despatched the Victory to
England. He was preparing to sail homewards, when to his surprise
Rear-admiral George Hope arrived to supersede him; he, however, did
not give up the command until everything was completed, and until he
had received the following despatch from Lord Cathcart:

St. Petersburg, 26th Oct. 1812.

SIR,

I had the honour of receiving yesterday by the Briseis your
letter of the 10th ult., duplicates of your two letters of the
2nd, and triplicates of your letter of the 4th.

I lost no time in laying the three last-named despatches before
the Emperor, and his Imperial Majesty desired me to take the
first opportunity of expressing his entire approbation of
everything you have done and promised for his squadrons,
together with his best thanks for the exertions you have made
in meeting and assisting the squadron under Admiral Crown, to
refit so as to pursue the voyage to the Baltic, as well as for
supplying an officer and pilots for the passage of the Belt.

His Imperial Majesty learned with great concern the afflicting
loss you have sustained, and was duly sensible of the efforts
you made for the public cause, by remaining